Pliers.



C. S. EDWARDS.

PLIEBS.

APPLICATION mm JUNE I8, 1917.

Patmltedv May 21, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

- INVENTOR %QrkwJZ-E'd a ATTORNEYS C. S. EDWARDS.

PLIERS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 18, 1917.

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To all whom it may} concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES S. EDWARDS, a citizen of the United States, and residing at Prineville, in the county of Crook and State of Oregon, have invented a new and Improved Pliers, of which the following is a specification.

and the said parts arranged for being quickly adjusted to provide for efl'ectively increasing or diminishing the power of the pliers to adapt them for special kinds of work, as conditions may require.

Again, my invention has for its purpose to provide an improved construction of pliers, of the type generally stated, in which is included means for shifting the fulcrum for the lever and rack devices, whereby the capacity of the pliers is increased or diminished and the operating parts are correlatively so constructed that they may be readily assembled for use, and while the said parts are specially well adapted for use in pliers they may be readily modified for use in wire cutters, pincers, dies and various tools of similar nature in which great handle leverage is required.

With other objects in view, that will hereinafter appear, my invention embodies the peculiar features of construction and combination of parts that constitute my improved pliers, all of which will be explained in detail, specifically pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a pair of pliers embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section thereof,

arts being in side elevation, the,jaws bemg shown in their partly open position.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, the jaws being at the fully closed position.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 21, 1918'.

Application filed June 18, 1917. Serial No. 175,422.

Fig. 4 is a similar view, the jaws being at their open position.

Fig. 5 is a detail cross section taken on the line 55 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrow.

Fig. 6 is a top view of the main head or aw.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the shiftable bearing member.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a toggle or stirrup-like hanger that constitutes one of the pivotal connections for the movable lever handle.

Fig. 9 is a detail view of the slidable roller and pin members that constitute the main pivot bearing for the movable handle lever.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the movable jaw.

:Fig. 11 is a detail view indicatinga modified construction of the movable j aw.

Fig. 12 is a detail view of the operating lever or handle.

In the practical arrangement thereof, my improved pliers includes a main and relatively stationary body having a jaw, and a movable body portion or jaw, each of which has an integral or otherwise fixedly connected handle or lever member, the two lever members being so arranged whereby they may be readily grasped and closed together by hand.

The main or body aw, hereinafter termed the fixed jaw 17 is located at that end of the body 1, opposite a handle or lever member 19, integral with such body, as is clearly shown in Fig. 1. 15 designates a vertical slot formed in the body and the jaw 17 and which merges with a longitudinal recess or slotway. 2 that opens, through the front and rear edges of the said body, as shown.

Each of the side cheeks of the body 1 has a vertically elongated slot 4 that form vertical guideways for the roller bearings 55, removably mounted on a pin axle 6 that constitutes the main or upper fulcrum for an operating lever 20, the latter having a transverse aperture 10 through which the saidv axle 6 extends. The said axle 6 and the rollers 55 are held in proper position by a cap screw 12, see Fig. 5.

3 designates a sliding or movable jaw and the same has a vertical guide rib 30 at its front edge for engaging a guide groove and the said movable or sliding jaw 3 has a toothed rack 14 on the rear face which it being understood that engages with a sector rack 13 formed on the operating lever or handle 20. v

21 designates a sliding member whose upper end is formed with a pair of oppositely disposed lugs or bifurcated extensions 2727, each of which has an inwardly projected lateral stud 77, the purpose of which will presently appear. 1

The rear side of the member 21 has a horizontally concaved rack face 22 that engages with an adjusting worm gear or screw nut 23 mounted in a socket 25 formed in the body 1 and which is held in the operative position by a screw stud 24, as is clearly shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4c of the drawings, by reference to which it will be seen that the body 1 has a recess 25 in each of its side or cheek portions in which the screw nut 23 projects for being conveniently turned by thumb and finger manipulation.

A toggle or hanger connection joins the slidable member 21 andthe operating lever handle 20 and the said connection consists of a pair of links 88 whose upper ends are apertured for pivotally sustaining them on the inturned lugs 77 on the slidable member 21 and whose lower ends are joined by a stud pin 9, which, in assembling the parts for use, also passes through an aperture 11 in the lower end 11 of the head portion of the lever which has the sector rack 13, the pin 9 forming, as it were, the lower pivot of the movable lever 20 From the foregoing description taken in connection with the. drawings the complete construction of my invention will be readily apparent. The operation of the tool may be described as follows: Separating the handles 19-20 causes the movable jaw 3 to open from the main or relatively stationary jaw 17, the sector 13 during the closing motion of the lever 20 being kept in mesh with the rack face 14 by the upper pivot 6 and the rollers '5,-5 guided in the slots -i1, a maximum width or opening between the said jaws is obtained by a greater spread of the handles which changes the fulcrum of thelever 2O which now swings backwardly on the hangers 8. r,

The closing of the handles brings the jaws together, the power acting through the two pivots 6 and 9.

By reason of making the operating lever as described and mounting the movable jaw and providing the connections that join the movable jaw with the lever in the manner shown, a greater leverage is obtained than can be produced in the ordinary forms of pliers, for the reason that the poweracts through a' joint obtained through the hangers 8 and that portion of the working endof the movable handle between the pivots 9 and 6, the leverage being greatly increased as the jaws are nearly closed and the fulcrum points 9, 6 and 7 are brought into a substantially straight line.

The capacity of the pliers is increased or diminished by adjusting the sliding member 21 up or down so as to change the position of the fulcrum 7, the sliding member moving in the guide slots 26 provided therefor in the main body, as before stated.

in actuating the levers 19 and 20, a com pound action is exerted that efl ects the extent of travel of the movable jaw, since there is a movement which the swing of the handle causes when acting through the sector ders 15*.

What I claim is:

1. In an implement of the character described, a body having a relatively fixed jaw and handle, a moving jaw slidably mounted on the said body for cooperating with the relatively fixed jaw, saidslidable jaw includinga rack face, a lever having a rack sector for enga in the rack face of the movable jaw, a ivotal connection for the lever mounted an having vertical movement on the body, a bearing member shiftably mounted on the said body, a link connection that joins the said bearing and the lever, and means mounted on the body for sliding the bearing whereb to adjust the pivotai connection for the ever. I

2. in an implement of the character de scribed, a body having a relatively fixed j aw and handle, a moving jaw slidably mounted on the said body for cooperating with the relatively fixed jaw, said slidable jaw includ ing a rack face, a lever having a rack segment for engaging the rack face of the movable jaw, a pivotal connection for the lever mounted and having vertical movement on the body, a bearing member shiftably mount ed on the said body, a toggle link connection a lever handle havlng a gear segment, the

movable jaw having a rack face engaging the said ar segment, a fulcrum for the handle sli able on the body, a bearing slidably mounted on the said body, toggle links lever whereby to increase or diminish the capacity of the jaws.

4. An implement of the character described comprising a body having a.- longitudinal slotwa extendin through the front and rear e ge thereo a vert1cal guide oove at each end of the said slotway, sai body portion including a relatively fixedl held aw and handle, a movable jaw s idably mounted in the guide groove at the outer end of the body, and a shiftable bearing slidably mounted in the other guide groove in the body, the said movable jaw and the movable bearing each having a rack face, a lever including a head having a segmental gear for engaging the rack face of the movable jaw, a cross pivot at the lower end of the lever, a cross pivot at the'upper end of the shiftable bearing, a toggle llnk connection that joins the pin in the upper end of the shiftable bearing and the cross pivot in the lower end of the lever and a main fulcrumon the lever vertically shiftable on the said body.

5. In an implement of the character described, a body having a relatively fixed jaw and handle, a movable jaw slidably mounted on the body for cooperatin with the relatively fixedly held jaw, an lever and rack mechanism for effecting movement of the sliding aw, said mechanism inclu an adjustab e fulcrum and means for a justing the said fulcrum to provide for the very slightest as well as wide adjustments of the movable jaw.

6. In an implement of the character de scribed, a body having a relatively fixed jaw and handle, a movable member for cooperating with the fixed jaw and lever and rack mechanism for effecting movement of the movable member, the said mechanism including toggle connection. whereby to provide for increasing the clamping effect of the relatively fixed jaw and the movable member, and means operative while the implement is applied to the work for eflecting v the adjustments of the fulcrum.

7. In pliers, a body having a relatively fixed jaw and handle, an opposing jaw having a rack and slidably mounted on the body for cooperating with the fixed jaw and lever and sector mechanism for effecting movement of the said sliding jaw without disengaging the sector from the said jaw, the said mechanism including a toggle connection, whereby to provide for increasing the clamping effect of the opposin jaw.

CHARLE S. EDWARDS. 

